Health + Wellness

5 Ways Music Can Benefit Mental Health

There’s truth to the saying “music heals the soul”. You may have realised that music makes you feel better — maybe you’ve turned to music as a distraction during tough times, or perhaps you’ve found that listening to music makes studying or exercising more bearable. Sure enough, studies have shown that music has the power to transform your mood and boost your overall mental health and well-being.

Get ready to turn up the music by reading the unexpected ways in which music can boost mental health, helping you live a happier life.

1) Reduce stress and anxiety
Rough day at work? Music might just be the solution to alleviating unwelcome stress. Music can prevent anxiety-induced spikes in one’s heart rate and systolic blood pressure, as well as decrease cortisol levels—all biological markers of stress. Performing music, as opposed to simply listening to music, also has a calming effect. Studies conducted with singers have shown that singing requires one to consciously activate their breathing, thus inducing a sense of calmness.

2) Improve Cognitive Performance
Not only can music fend off the mental decline that inevitably arises in one’s later years, it has even been shown to ramp up cognitive ability. Studies have found that listening to music has the ability to boost memory. Playing upbeat music in particular leads to improvements in one’s processing speed.

3) Improve Memory
Music can be an extremely helpful yet easily accessible tool for remembering fresh information. In studies conducted amongst people learning a new language, participants showed improvement in their knowledge and abilities after having practiced singing new words and phrases, as compared to regular speaking or rhythmic speaking. The next time you find yourself struggling to recall something, give music a try!

4) Improve Motivation
You’ll rarely spot gym-rats slogging through long distances on a treadmill without earphones blasting upbeat tunes in their ears. There is a good reason for this — researchers have found that listening to fast-paced music motivates people to work out harder. It’s no surprise hitting the gym feels so much easier while listening to music.

5) Improve Expressivity
The next time you’re finding it hard to talk about or express your emotions, try turning to music for help. Creating your own music – whether simply strumming a guitar or composing lyrics to a song – can help you process and express your emotions. It doesn’t have to be Grammy-worthy material to make you feel like a million bucks!

Regardless of age, music can have deep-reaching positive effects. If you’re interested in reaping the full benefits of music, look no further than to Hark Music. Hark Music has trained around 10,000 individuals of all ages through singing and musical classes over the past 19 years. Having pioneered The EXPRESSWAY™ learning system, Hark Music utilises techniques which involve breathing, timing, pitching and singing songs in appropriate keys to boost not only one’s musicality, but overall health and happiness as well.

Article contributed by Hark Music. More information can be found on their website and social media pages.